Jeremiah 38:3

3 The Lord saith these things, This city to be betaken shall be betaken into the hand of the host of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it. (The Lord saith these things, This city shall be delivered into the hands, or into the power, of the army of the king of Babylon, and they shall capture it.)

Jeremiah 38:3 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 38:3

Thus saith the Lord, this city shall surely be given into the
hand of the king of Babylon's army
When those found in it should be put to the sword, or carried captive: this the prophet declares with the greatest certainty; and what he had often affirmed for twenty years past, and now stands to it, having had fresh assurances from the Lord that so it would be; and which he faithfully published; though he had received some favours from the court, had his liberty enlarged, and was now eating the king's bread, he was not to be bribed by these things to hold his peace; but the nearer the ruin of the city was, the more confident was he of its destruction: which shall take it;
or, "that it may take it" ^F15; being delivered into its hands by the Lord, without whose permission the Chaldean army could never have taken it: or "and he shall take it" ^F16; that is, the king of Babylon.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F15 (hdklw) "ut capiat eam", Schmidt.
F16 "Et capiet illam", Cocceius; "et capiet eam", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.

Jeremiah 38:3 In-Context

1 Forsooth Shephatiah, son of Mattan, and Gedaliah, son of Pashur, and Jucal, son of Shelemiah, and Pashur, son of Malchiah, heard the words which Jeremy spake to all the people, saying,

2 The Lord saith these things, Whoever dwelleth in this city, shall die by sword, and hunger, and pestilence; but he that fleeth to [the] Chaldees, shall live, and his soul shall be whole and living. (The Lord saith these things, Whoever remaineth in this city, shall die by the sword, and by hunger, and by pestilence; but he who fleeth to the Chaldeans, shall live, and he shall be whole and living.)

3 The Lord saith these things, This city to be betaken shall be betaken into the hand of the host of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it. (The Lord saith these things, This city shall be delivered into the hands, or into the power, of the army of the king of Babylon, and they shall capture it.)

4 And the princes said to the king, We pray, that this man be slain; for of before-casting he discomforteth the hands of (the) men warriors, that dwelled in this city, and the hands of all the people, and speaketh to them by all these words. For why this man seeketh not peace to this people, but evil. (And the officers said to the king, We pray, that this man be killed; because by such forecasting he weakeneth the hands, or the resolve, of the warriors, and the hands of all the people, who still remain in this city, yea, by speaking to them by all these words. For this man seeketh not peace for this people, but evil.)

5 And king Zedekiah said, Lo! he is in your hands, for it is not leaveful that the king deny anything to you. (And King Zedekiah said, Lo! he is in your hands, for it is not lawful for the king to deny anything to you.)